Thanks for tree auction success

This letter is in gratitude for all the wonderful people who participated in the second Christmas Tree Auction at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center in the week following Thanksgiving.

In our second year, we raised approximately $5,200 for 23 different community service organizations on the Central Kenai Peninsula. This was a unique opportunity for many organizations doing good work in our area to let the community know about their missions, programs and priorities.

A special thank you goes out to our sponsors, including Salvation Army, who helped us acquire as many gently used artificial trees as was necessary for the event; Spenard Builders Supply, who helped us deliver the trees to the winning bidders and raffle ticket holders; and Kenai Peninsula Orchestra, who provided music for our closing event on Dec. 4. Thanks also to the Patrons of the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center and Kenai Convention and Visitors Bureau for helping to organize and present the event.

With immense gratitude, we recognize the 23 different groups who decorated the trees with such creativity and thoughtfulness. Those organizations will receive half the amount raised from the trees they decorated, while the other half will go to support exhibits and programs at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center. Those organizations are:

Finally, thank you to all the individuals who bid on trees and purchased tickets for the tree raffles. Your generosity is greatly appreciated and we hope you will continue to support these organizations and the work they do. To find out more about these organizations, please visit their websites, look for them on the Pick-Click-Give program through the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend application website, and come back to see their trees next year!